Hand Dryer

ABSTRACT

A hand dryer includes a housing, which has a drying space accessible from outside, a fan, and a plurality of outlet nozzles. The outlet nozzles are connected to the fan and they are oriented in such a way that a drying process can be performed in the drying space. The housing has at least two housing parts adjacent one another, between which the drying space is arranged and which extend in a vertical direction. The at least two housing parts have the outlet nozzles, which are arranged one above the other in such a way that an air-flow plane spanned by the outlet nozzles extends predominantly vertically.

The invention relates to a hand dryer which has a drying space which is accessible from the outer side, a fan and a plurality of discharge nozzles which are connected to the fan and which are orientated in such a manner that a drying operation can be carried out in the drying space.

Such a hand dryer is known, for example, from the manufacturer “Dyson” model “Airblade”. The hand dryer which is set out by way of example according to the prior art is one which carries out a drying operation at a high air speed. Depending on the manufacturer, this air speed may be more than 600 km/h. The air at high speed is blown onto the hands so that water on the hands is stripped away. Heating of the air by means of heating elements is not necessary for this drying effect, but can be integrated if necessary. In these hand dryers, the drying space is exclusively accessible from above, the discharge nozzles being orientated substantially horizontally.

As a result of the stripping plane of the hand dryer, which plane is determined by the discharge nozzles, in a horizontal direction or direction slightly inclined relative to the user, the hands have to be guided from above through the stripping plane into the drying space. If an ergonomic inclination of the wrists is maintained, it is necessary to position the elbows with spacing above an introduction slot when the hand dryer is used. A reach region of the hand dryer or the drying space is located inside the device and can be seen only from above. It may therefore be the case that users are inhibited from reaching into the device which operates loudly and which acts in a manner which can be felt strongly on the fingers. This can lead to uneasiness for users of the hand dryer.

The known hand dryer mentioned in the introduction is closed downward in the manner of a vessel, which promotes the accumulation of foreign bodies and fluids. The drying space is also difficult to clean as a result of the narrow opening at the top. Deposits and contamination are possible consequences which may lead to odor nuisance or also a biologically acting pollution of the ambient air.

Furthermore, hand dryers which operate at high air speed are rather large in terms of volume and cover a large floor area when conventionally wall-mounted. It is also necessary with these devices to redirect air which has been drawn in at a redirection angle of between 90° and 180° since the air is drawn in below the stripping plane, conveyed upward and subsequently discharged in a substantially horizontal stripping direction via the discharge nozzles.

Based on this, an object of the invention is to develop the hand dryer mentioned in the introduction in such a manner that the user-friendliness thereof is increased.

This object is achieved with the hand dryer mentioned in the introduction in that the housing has at least two housing portions which are arranged beside each other and between which the drying space is arranged and which extend in a vertical direction, wherein the at least two housing portions have the discharge nozzles which are arranged one above the other in such a manner that an air flow plane which is defined by them extends primarily in a vertical manner.

As a result of the vertical arrangement of the at least two housing portions beside each other, the hand dryer is open in an upward direction, in a downward direction and in a forward direction so that a more variable use is achieved compared with devices according to the prior art. Persons of different sizes can readily introduce their hands into the drying space and use the hand dryer. Since the hand dryer is open in a downward direction, stripped-away fluid is not accumulated in the device itself so that any foreign bodies and stripped-away fluids can be discharged in a downward direction. This effectively prevents soiling or contamination of the inner side of the device.

The at least two housing portions may be constructed in a tubular manner and have the discharge nozzles at the sides thereof facing the drying space. In this embodiment, the hand dryer takes up a particularly small amount of space, with effective drying nonetheless being able to be achieved.

It may be advantageous for there to be provided an additional tubular housing portion which is arranged vertically between the at least two housing portions and which has discharge nozzles at both sides. When the hand dryer is used, it is possible in this embodiment for a person's hand to be arranged between the additional tubular housing portion which is arranged in the center and one of the two outer housing portions so that each hand is acted on with air from the right and from the left. This promotes the efficiency of the drying operation.

In an alternative embodiment, the two housing portions may be constructed in a vessel-like manner, wherein the discharge nozzles are then arranged at the front edges thereof. In this instance, the stripped-away fluid is blown from the side against the vessel-like housing portions and can subsequently be discharged from the hand dryer from the bottom.

Preferably, there may be arranged between the at least two vessel-like housing portions an additional housing portion which is constructed in a tubular manner and which has at both sides discharge nozzles which are directed in the direction toward one of the at least two housing portions, respectively. This affords the advantage that each individual hand of a person can be acted on with air from both sides so that the drying operation can be carried out in a speedy manner.

Preferably, the fan may be constructed as a separate component and be arranged remote from the at least two housing portions. In this instance, it is possible for the fan to be assembled above, below or beside the discharge nozzles. Consequently, a considerable reduction of the floor region covered by the hand dryer can be achieved. When the fan is arranged in an extension of a supply to the discharge nozzles and behind an assembly wall, a redirection of the air at an angle of from 0° to 90° may be anticipated. As a result of this small redirection, inner losses when the air flow is conveyed are reduced and the noise development is reduced.

Embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail below with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hand dryer with a substructure arrangement in a sanitary module,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a hand dryer for wall assembly,

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the hand dryer according to FIG. 2 along a line III-III,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the hand dryer of FIG. 2 with a schematically illustrated discharge plane, and

FIG. 5 is a sectioned view of the hand dryer of FIG. 2 along a line V-V.

FIG. 1 shows a hand dryer 1 with a substructure configuration. The hand dryer 1 has two outer housing portions 2, 4 and a central housing portion 3 which are each constructed in a tubular manner. At the upper end thereof, the housing portions 2, 3, 4 are connected to a cabinet 5 in which there is located a fan which is not illustrated and which draws in cold air and directs it into the housing portions 2, 3, 4 from above. The cold air leaves the housing portions 2, 3, 4 via discharge nozzles whose position in FIG. 1 is indicated by associated arrows which indicate a discharge direction from a respective discharge nozzle. The housing portions 2, 3, 4 extend predominantly in a vertical direction and the discharge nozzles define a vertical plane.

When the hand dryer 1 is used, a person can place his hands in each case between the central housing portion 3 and one of the outer housing portions 2, 4. The cold air, that is to say, air which has not been actively heated by a heating device, which is discharged at high speed then brings about a drying operation in a drying space which is produced in each case.

FIG. 2 shows a hand dryer 6 for wall assembly. It shows two outer, vessel-like and substantially vertically extending housing portions 7, 8 which are arranged in a mirror-symmetrical manner.

A central, tubular housing portion 9 is provided in the mirror plane. Front edges of the outer housing portions 7, 8 are provided with discharge nozzles which are in turn primarily located one vertically above the other and which are indicated by arrows. The central housing portion is generally constructed in a curved manner, with a front region extending substantially vertically and also being provided with discharge nozzles, at both sides in the direction toward an adjacent outer housing portion 7, 8, respectively. The discharge nozzles of the outer housing portions 7, 8 are orientated in the direction of the central housing portion 9.

FIG. 3 shows the vessel-like construction of the outer housing portions 7, 8. A respective discharge direction of discharge nozzles either at the front edges of the outer housing portions 7, 8 or in the front region of the central housing portion 9 is further indicated with arrows.

FIG. 4 is a simplified illustration of a curved face (stripping plane) 10 which is defined by the discharge nozzles. Fluid on hands is stripped away in this plane 10 and redirected in the direction toward the vessel-like regions of the outer housing portions 7, 8. From there, stripped-away fluid can leave the hand dryer 6 from the bottom.

From the illustration according to FIG. 5, it can be seen that the central housing portion 9 is connected at the other side of the wall to an air supply which is supplied by a fan 11 which provides cold air at a high speed of more than 600 km/h. In a similar manner, the outer housing portions 7, 8 are also supplied with drying air.

From the illustration according to FIG. 5, it can further be seen that the hand dryer 6 can be used from below, from the front and also, as illustrated, in an oblique manner from above. It is therefore also suitable for PRM (Persons of Reduced Mobility) requirements. 

1-6. (canceled)
 7. A hand dryer, comprising: a housing formed with at least two housing portions arranged beside one another and defining a drying space therebetween that is accessible from outside, said housing portions extending substantially in a vertical direction; a fan operatively connected to a plurality of discharge nozzles formed in said housing portions; said discharge nozzles being disposed and oriented to enable a drying operation to be carried out in said drying space between said housing portions; and said discharge nozzles being formed in said housing portions one above the other to thereby define an air flow plane extending primarily vertically.
 8. The hand dryer according to claim 7, wherein said at least two housing portions are substantially tubular elements formed with said discharge nozzles at sides thereof facing said drying space.
 9. The hand dryer according to claim 8, which further comprises an additional tubular housing portion extending vertically between said at least two housing portions and having discharge nozzles formed on both sides thereof.
 10. The hand dryer according to claim 7, wherein said at least two housing portions are constructed as partial vessels with said discharge nozzles formed at front edges thereof.
 11. The hand dryer according to claim 10, which comprises an additional housing portion arranged between said at least two housing portions, said additional housing portion being a tubular element formed with discharge nozzles on two sides thereof and oriented in a direction toward each one of said at least two housing portions.
 12. The hand dryer according to claim 7, wherein said fan is constructed as a separate component and is arranged remote from said at least two housing portions. 